Germany's Military

The German Military Forces are traditionally divided into three groups – the Army (land component), the Navy (sea component) and the Air Force (air component, established post-World War II). Also known by the title “Federal Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany” (colloquially known in German as Bundeswehr), it originally came to be in 1955 West Germany. At the time, the German Military Forces had no purpose but to defend Germany – any offensive power on its part will be seen as an international threat in the wake of the second World War. Bundeswehr was also part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and was at the time the organization's largest land component in Central Europe.

The German Military Forces' Air Force and Nave had significant roles during the Cold War under NATO. Following the reunification of Germany, however, problems emerged. The East German Army, known as the NVA or National People's Army, was absorbed by the the Bundeswehr. Both influential and powerful in their own respects, the integration of the two German armies was far from easy. The newly-formed German Military Forces had to cut down their troop numbers, and, by 1995, they had restructured their systems.

Today, the German Military is in no way or form elite compared to civilians; those in its ranks are also given civil rights such as the right to run for office even while in service. It's also known as one of the most understanding military groups in the world; the Bundswehr does not discriminate against sexual orientation, although women can only join its medical and musical corps.